


Not So Bad.

by 80sev



Category: Sally Face (Video Games)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bullying, Canonical Character Death, Dialogue Heavy, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Insecurity, Internalized Homophobia, Late Night Conversations, Set during Episode 5
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-25
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:26:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22890958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/80sev/pseuds/80sev
Summary: If you'd told Travis Phelps over 5 years ago that he'd be sitting in a dungeon and talking to Todd Morrison's boyfriend, he would've called you crazy.
Relationships: Neil & Travis Phelps, Sal Fisher/Travis Phelps, Todd Morrison/Neil
Comments: 6
Kudos: 41





	Not So Bad.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, this is completely self-indulgent because I've been having some issues lately and writing this was comforting. There may be mistakes because I was tired while writing this.

If you'd told Travis Phelps over 5 years ago that he'd be sitting in a dungeon and talking to Todd Morrison's boyfriend, he would've called you crazy. A psychopath, even. Yet here he was, sitting across from the other dark-skinned man, only bars separating them as they made small talk. Maple had passed out in the next cell over, which was for the best. Travis wasn't even sure it was her anymore, whether she even existed in her own body now. He could tell Neil was thinking something similar, or at least something heavy weighing in his mind too, probably about Todd. The tension was high, too high for Travis' liking, but that was probably also due to the fact that he had a nagging feeling Neil doesn't _want_ to talk to him. He'd understand, he knew he used to be a real nuisance to him and his unruly haired boyfriend back in school. But now wasn't the time to think about the past, as if the situation wasn't bad enough without extra negative thoughts, his father was planning to _murder_ this guy soon, the absolute least he could do is give him some form of comfort before anything happens. Or before Ash detonates the place, and for their sake, Travis hoped it'd be the latter.

Thinking of Ash, Travis cleared his throat. "She's stronger than she looks."

"Don't underestimate Ashley Campbell," Neil laughed dryly, although he sounded extremely exhausted. "It's for the best, though. I know she'll do the right thing."

"What will you do if she doesn't detonate this place? It's a heavy choice for one person to have to make, especially since she knows you, Todd, and Maple are down here. She might not have the strength to do it."

Neil raised an eyebrow. "You're down here, too. I don't think she wants to hurt any of us."

"I don't think she cares as much for me," Travis avoided eye contact. "We're not friends or anything. You guys are."

Neil offered the other man a genuine smile, which surprised him. "You don't have to be friends with someone to care about them. Push aside the bad encounters, I agree with Ash when she said you've got some good in you. I don't think you're a bad person, Travis."

"Not even with the fact that my father runs this place and I'm apart of it?"

"You're not like your father."

Travis felt his heart stop for a split second. He wasn't like his father. It felt strange to hear someone actually tell him that, considering all the negative thoughts that would consume him all the time and tell him that he was a bad person, nothing better than his father. But even Neil, someone he used to bully out of his own insecurities, was telling him that he _isn't like his father_. Despite how he treated him in the past, he still had hope that maybe he wasn't all that bad. 

"You know," Neil started again, pulling Travis out of his thoughts. "There was this one night where Sal and I were up playing on the Nintendo while Todd went to bed. After a while, we just talked for a bit and he didn't explain much out of respect, but he mentioned that you went through a lot while growing up. I always had a feeling about it, but after knowing what your father truly is now, it's a lot easier to understand you better. No wonder you had all that pent up rage, man."

Travis breathed in heavily. "Ha, that's not even the half of it. Kenneth Phelps is a real fucking prick, and experiencing it first hand for your whole life is...traumatizing, to say the least."

"I'll bet," Neil sighed heavily. 

They fell into silence again, both feeling drained and exhausted. They looked the part, too. Neil had always been a rather tidy person, maintaining himself well. But the more Travis looked him over, the more he saw an entirely different person. No longer was that tidy, cheerful man. He'd been replaced by a lonely, grieving one. His unshaven face, the duller shade of yellow on his sweater, his droopy and murkier eyes. Yet, he still managed to tell Ash it was okay. But Travis didn't buy it.

"Aren't you scared?" He questioned, his eyes observing the other.

Neil sighed, a hint of emptiness in his tone. "To give you the absolute truth since Ash is gone...Yes, I am."

"Why couldn't Ash know that?"

"I didn't want to make her worry more so than she already was," Neil laughed nervously. "She's been through so much and took time to help me out and comfort me when I needed it with the whole Todd situation. The least I could do was try to ease her worries as much as possible. I thought that if she thought I wasn't scared, it'd help ease her mind and know that there are no hard feelings."

"She was still pretty hysteric."

"Yeah, I know."

Travis sighed again, his voice soft as he spoke. "I'm sorry I can't do anything about Todd. I tried looking for ways to help you both out, I really did. But..."

"No need to apologize," Neil interjected, a sincere smile on his face. "I understand it's too risky. I appreciate that you tried anyway, thank you."

Travis nodded, before swallowing down some emotions that persisted on coming through.

Maybe talking to Neil wasn't so bad after all.


End file.
